Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Titus 2:4 Tea You're invited!

Don't you ever wish life came with an owner's manual? Just imagine....a table of contents, all of life's issues separated by chapter, an index, perhaps even a section for FAQ. You could just flip through when you're not sure what to do with an uncommunicative teenager, a 25 pound turkey, a 2 year old's tantrum in the middle of Target, a husband who seems like he's 1,000 miles away, a bill collector who won't quit calling, the friend who betrayed you yet again, the mounds of laundry that threaten to bury your family - all the answers to all the difficulties, right there at your fingertips, bound neatly in a hardback book. I don't know about you, but that sounds DREAMY to this wife, teacher, mother, friend, daughter.

Of course we've all heard the Bible called "Life's Instruction Book," but if you're anything like most other believing women, you find yourself unable to figure out just what God's will is. You wonder how you're supposed to know the "right" thing to do. You sometimes have a difficult time making important decisions, wanting to hear from the Lord, but just unsure what He wants you to do. You find yourself drowning in the "daily-ness" of life. You read that daily devotional book and the verses at the end, you listen to K-Love, you even order the books people recommend from amazon. And still. The answers simply aren't clear.

God's Word IS, in fact, the source of all we need. 2 Timothy 3:16 tells us that "All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the (wo)man of God may be equipped for every good work." I'm so thankful for that assurance! And then on top of that, as believers, in addition to the Living Word of God, we have the Spirit to help us. We learn in Acts 1:8 that "we will have power when the Holy Spirit comes upon us" (at salvation) and 2 Peter 1:3 says that "His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness." Those are some STOUT promises in Scripture!

And, sisters, then we read Titus 2:3-5, and God gives us very clearly the PRACTICAL way that this is walked out in our lives as women. It's a beautiful picture of more experienced, mature women leading lives of great virtue, and coming alongside younger women to train them in the ways of the Lord. You see, God, in His great wisdom, knew that we as women would need some practical, hands-on tutoring. That we would have questions, that we would be uncertain, that we wouldn't know what to do in every single situation. And so He gave us His Word. And His Spirit. And EACH OTHER.

He did this because He loves us and knows how much we need it, yes, that's true. But we must understand in the very core of our souls that there's a greater purpose than that. Keep on reading in Titus 2, and when you get to verses 10-12, it'll hit you like a rock. The second part of verse 10 says "so that they will adorn the doctrine of God our Savior (the gospel) in every respect." Every single thing we do in this life either adorns or reviles the gospel. And so Paul encourages the older women to encourage the younger women in the way they live because IT MAKES THE GOSPEL LOOK BEAUTIFUL when we live godly lives. When we love our husbands and children, when we are sensible and pure, when we are workers at home, when are kind, when we submit to our husbands.

My friends, the only way we'll do this successfully is to live in gospel-centered community. Our monthly Titus 24 Tea gathering is just one way that this can happen. Are you in a Connect Group? Do you have women in your life who will ask you hard questions about sin issues you struggle with? Do your friends consistently give you their own advice, or do they point you to Scripture? Older women, do you prayerfully consider the younger women that God has brought into your life, in order to encourage and support them? Younger women, do you consistently pursue more mature women to learn from their wisdom and experience? You can be sure of this, no matter our age, there is a younger woman we should be encouraging, and an older woman we should be learning from.

Please join us once a month on Thursday mornings from 9:00-11:00 a.m. at my house for Titus 2:4 Tea. There's no Bible study, no book to read, no agenda - we'll simply spend time together in gospel-centered community. Please feel free to bring your children, and pack a little snack and drink for them.

Est. 2002

Tucker, 7

Lana, 10

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About Me

We are a team. saved by grace. madly in love. parents of two amazing littles. discipleship pastor. first grade teacher. chief of sinners. bike riders. book readers. from the coast, so fishers. of fish and men. in this for life. hand holders. sushi eaters. learning. disciple-making disciples. being sanctified, gratefully. worshippers of the one and only true God. lovers of life. and each other.